Dog Hearing Loss / Impaired

Sometimes it is difficult to notice when a dog is losing his sense of hearing. If you notice that your dog stops reacting to sounds he used to, or if he seems to have difficulty finding where the sound came from, it's probable that your dog is losing his sense of hearing and becoming hearing impaired. On occasions something as simple as an accumulation of wax can cause a dog to not hear. Check to see if your dog's ear canal is covered in hair, which causes the accumulation of wax and which must be cleaned regularly, this is often times seen in certain breeds such as German shepherds. Make sure to ask your veterinarian how to clean the dog's ears and what type of product you should use to do this since there are some that can irritate the dog's skin. If you notice that the auricular cleaning product you are using irritates your dog's skin, stop using it immediately. Hearing loss is sometimes also caused by a lesion or sickness that affects the dogs eardrum or the middle and internal ear. There are some breeds, such as Dalmatians, that are more predisposed to hereditary hearing loss. Just like humans, dogs can go deaf when they get older. This type of hearing loss usually happens gradually. If you suspect that your dog is losing his sense of hearing, it's a good idea to start training him to do what you want by clapping your hands; claps produce sounds that the dog is able to hear, even more so than your voice or whistles. This way, when the dog is no longer able to hear your voice, he will still be capable of finding you whenever you clap your hands.

Most common hearing problems in dogs

Symptom: The dog starts shaking his head and scratching at his ear like crazy.

Possible cause: A foreign object has gotten into the dogs ear such as a seed for example.

Treatment: Take the dog to the veterinarian who will sedate or anesthetize the dog and remove the foreign object.